Then They Grieved
by daisygal18
Summary: Just a look at how Cullen might have reacted if our dear Trevelyan hadn't made it back from the final showdown with Corypheus.


**A/N:** Hello friends! This is my very first fic so please bare with me. If you aren't a fan of character death you might want to leave now. It's short and sweet, well not very sweet, I am testing the waters of this Fanfiction world. Reviews good and bad are welcome. Please let me know if I screwed anything up. Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** Bioware owns everything, I only wish Cully Wully was mine.

* * *

He watched her as she laced up her boots and grabbed the staff that was balanced against the wall. She startled when she saw him. Her face held an expression of sadness for only a moment before she smoothed over her features with a determined frown.

"Cullen, please don't try to argue with me right now. We know what must be done."

She tried to walk past him but he stepped in front of her. She refused to look at him so he lifted her chin with his finger. She looked up at him reluctantly and Maker he was so in awe of her. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. Jade Trevelyan, his Inquisitor, his love.

"Please, Jade, hold off for a day or two. The men will be back from the Arbor Wilds by then." She shook her head and pulled away from him to walk to her balcony.

"Cullen, we don't _have_ a few days. Look!" She motioned in the direction of the Breach. Corypheus had opened it once more. A small company of soldiers had pushed forward to fight off as many demons as possible before Jade could get there.

She sighed and ran a hand through her long brown hair, it wasn't in a braid like usual. It fell in soft waves down her back.

Cullen felt his heart lurch, he knew what must be done. The Commander of the Inquisition knew she had to go now if there was any hope for the world; but the man that loved her needed her to stay for fear that his own world would crumble.

She turned to him again and her face had softened. She approached him slowly, carefully, never taking her eyes from his. She reached her hand up to stroke his face. She looked at him as if she were committing his face to memory and Cullen felt fear latch onto him as he realized that's exactly what she was doing. He grabbed her roughly and looked over her. She had changed in the last year. She had been so carefree when first they met. She had lost a brother to the war and that haunted her, but Jade had always been so... light. She brought light to his own dark world. Was he destined to be in darkness once more?

"You will live." He said and tried and failed to keep his voice from breaking. It was an order but also a plea. _Please live_.

Jade hugged him tightly. "I love you." She said quietly and then she left him in a hurry.

* * *

The battle was gruesome. Cullen fought as hard as he could with the few men they had. Demons were everywhere, there was no end to them. So many people had fallen. So many lives lost.

He looked up to the sky where Corypheus had lifted the entire bloody ruins of Haven into midair. She was up there, and he couldn't help her.

Maker, bring her out of this.

They were being overtaken. He helped one of his wounded men to walk, they had to retreat and just pray that the Herald could defeat the Darkspawn Magister. They had to wait it out.

* * *

The Breach was sealed. They watched it happen from Skyhold and now they all waited for the Herald and her companions to return. Cullen felt the weight of the worry lift from his shoulders. She had succeeded, she had won. He stood with Leliana and Josephine as the group of people walked through the gates of Skyhold. The cheers of the people suddenly stopped and Cullen arched his head to see what was going on. He looked behind him to a confused Leliana and Josephine.

Cheers quieted and then turned to sobs. Cullen rushed down the steps and stopped when Dorian came into view. The Tevinter mage carried a crumpled form in his arms. Her head rested against the man's shoulder and her hair swayed as he walked. She was so pale. Jade had natural ivory skin but she was as white as snow. His knees threatened to buckle as he looked from the broken form to Dorian. The mage's face was full of grief. He locked eyes with the Commander and nodded his head before looking away.

"No" Cullen whispered.

She had won, she had sealed the Breach. Corypheus was dead. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. She was supposed to come walking up to him with that beautiful smile he adored. She was supposed to hug him, and then he would kiss her in front of everyone without a care of the rumors. She wasn't supposed to be dead.

Dorian reached the broken Commander and stopped walking. "Cullen, I am so sorry..."

Cullen ignored the man and reached for her. Dorian handed her off to him carefully and Cullen felt his shoulders begin to shake. He clutched her to him desperately and buried his face in her hair. He fell to his knees then as he held onto the mage's body for dear life.

He looked down at her and pushed her hair back from her face. "No, no, no, please." He whispered and bowed over her as a sob escaped him. She was gone. The light was gone. Dorian rested his hand on the Commander's shoulder as he sobbed. There in the courtyard of her beloved Skyhold. The entire inquisition grieved.


End file.
